Do you need an enormous seven mile range out of your 2-way radio? Would you appreciate the feature of having three Canadian maritime channels and seven NOAA weather band channels? If so, then these radios might be just for you. Don't worry, Audiovox left the features that you expect out of any other 2-way, like hands free capability, twenty-two channels (each with thirty-eight privacy sub-channels), a detachable swivel carry clip, a backlit LCD screen, scan button, and full electronic channel and volume controls. The radios run on five AAA batteries, and even powering a seven mile range, will run for fourteen to thirty hours. Remember that with this range, you'll need a FCC license. With the features listed above, one can see how these radios would be ideal for skiers, hikers,... Less

FRS stands for Family Radio Service. GMRS stands for Ground Mobile Radio Service. They both use frequencies in the 462-468MHz range. There are many 2-way radios now which are both FRS and GMRS. What's the difference? The FRS service is fairly new, authorized for use in the U.S. in 1996 based on a petition to the FCC from radio manufacturers like Motorola and Radio Shack. People didn't want to carry around huge CB walkie-talkies anymore and the 49MHz band with all the cordless phones wasn't cutting it for serious use. So, the FCC created an UNLICENSED band of 14 channels for walkie-talkies. They limited power output to 500mW and restricted radios to have NON-REMOVABLE ANTENNAS. These radios typically work a mile or two outdoors, largely depending on surrounding terrain and foliage. GMRS... Less